{{Short description|National anthem of Laos}} {{use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{use British English|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox anthem | title = {{lang|lo|ເພງຊາດລາວ}} | transcription = {{lang|lo-latn|italic=no|Phēng Sā̂t Lāo}} | english_title = Lao National Anthem | image = "Pheng Xat Lao" sheet music.gif | image_size = | caption = | prefix = National | country = Laos | author = [[Sisana Sisane]] | lyrics_date = 1975 | composer = Thongdy Sounthonevichit | music_date = 1941 | adopted = 1945 | until = | sound = National Anthem of Laos.ogg | sound_title = [[U.S. Navy Band]] instrumental rendition }}
The '''Lao National Anthem'''{{efn|{{Langx|lo|ເພງຊາດລາວ|Phēng Sā̂t Lāo}}, {{IPA|lo|pʰēːŋ sâːt lāːw|pron}}}} was first adopted as the [[national anthem]] of the [[Kingdom of Laos]] in 1945. It was written and composed in 1941 by Thongdy Sounthonevichit. After the [[Laotian Civil War]] and the establishment of the [[Lao People's Democratic Republic]] in 1975, the original lyrics were revised by [[Sisana Sisane]], and these lyrics remain in use to this day.<ref name=CIA/>
==History== [[File:HYMNES et PAVILLONS DʼINDOCHINE 1941 Leaders flags anthems of French Indochina WW2 Vichy France 52 LUANG-PRABANG Le Patriote Lao Hymne national Laotien Thong Dy 03 - IDEO. Hanoi Unidentified author designer No know copyright.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"{{lang|lo-Latn|Lāo Hák Sā̂t|italic=no}}"({{langx|lo|ລາວຮັກຊາຕ}} {{IPA|lo|lāːw hák̚ sâːt̚|}}; {{lit|The Lao Patriot}}), the original lyrics of the national anthem.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5848625d |title=Hymnes et Pavillons d'Indochine |publisher=Imprimerie d'Extrême Orient |location=Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Philosophie, histoire, sciences de l'homme, 4-LK10-918 |publication-date=1941 |language=fr}}</ref> written by Maha Phoumi Chittaphong, published in ''Hymnes & pavillons dʼIndochine'', December 1941.]] In 1893 Laos became a [[French protectorate of Laos|protectorate of France]] within [[French colonial empire|its colonial empire]]. The French claimed that their annexation was to protect Laos from "hostile neighbours" such as [[Qing dynasty|Qing China]] – and especially Siam, which had been militarily forced to cede Laos to the European colonial power. In reality, France simply ruled Laos as a colony, bringing in [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] to work in its governing. The transferring of control from one master to another meant that nationalist sentiment did not develop as it did in formerly independent Vietnam. The outbreak of [[World War II]] saw the [[Battle of France|fall of France]] to [[Nazi Germany]]. The right-wing government in Siam saw this as a possible opportunity to regain formerly Thai territory lost to France, especially the land located on the Thai side of the [[Mekong River]]. To counteract this, the French colonial government began promoting the re-emergence of Lao nationalism.<ref name=LP>{{cite web|title=History of Laos|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/laos/history|access-date=8 May 2013|publisher=Lonely Planet|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225100345/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/laos/history|url-status=live}}</ref>
Due to this liberalisation, some patriotic songs were composed, each one emphasising Lao "uniqueness".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8hy1pzrc0sC&pg=PA137|title=Youth Mobilization in Vichy Indochina and Its Legacies: 1940 to 1970|publisher=Lexington Books|year=2005|last=Raffin|first=Anne|pages=137–38|isbn=9780739111468|access-date=9 May 2013}}</ref> The Lao National Anthem was one of them, having been composed by Thongdy Sounthonevichit in 1941,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qkuSVaUuiVgC&q=pheng+xat+lao&pg=PA69|title=Laos in Pictures|publisher=Twenty-First Century Books|year=2007|last=Doedan|first=Matt|pages=69|isbn=9780822565901|access-date=9 May 2013}}</ref> with lyrics written by Maha Phoumi Chittaphong under the title "The Lao Patriot" ({{langx|fr|Le patriote Lao}}).<ref>{{cite web|title=ປະເທດລາວ ໑໙໕໐ Laos mil neuf cent cinquante|url=https://sayasackp.free.fr/traite.htm|access-date=January 18, 2023|work=Hymnn Lao|publisher=Government of Laos|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028211230/https://sayasackp.free.fr/traite.htm |archive-date=28 October 2012}}</ref> It was chosen as the national anthem in 1945,<ref name=CIA>{{cite web|title=Laos|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/laos/|access-date=9 May 2013|work=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA|archive-date=7 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307193820/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/laos/|url-status=dead}}</ref> when the king was forced by [[Empire or Japan|Japanese occupiers]] to declare Laos independent from French rule. France regained control of [[French Indochina]] after [[Japan's surrender]] in 1945.<ref name=LP/> In 1947 France granted limited autonomy to Laos within the [[French Union]], and the Lao National Anthem was officially adopted.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|editor-first=Stanley I.|editor-last=Kutler|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War|title=Laos|url=http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=WHIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CBT2336200278&mode=view|access-date=May 9, 2013|year=1996|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|location=New York}} '''{{subscription required}}'''</ref>
When the [[Pathet Lao]] emerged victorious in the [[Laotian Civil War]] in 1975, thanks to [[North Vietnam]]ese assistance, the communist government abolished the monarchy and changed the lyrics to reflect the ideology of the [[Marxism|Marxist]] government.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a72gff91-u0C&q=laos+national+anthem&pg=PA133|title=Spirits of the place: Buddhism and Lao religious culture|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|year=2009|last=Holt|first=John Clifford|pages=133|isbn=9780824833275|access-date=9 May 2013}}</ref> As a result, the National Anthem became all-encompassing and egalitarian, mentioning all [[List of ethnic groups in Laos|ethnic groups in Laos]], instead of focusing on solely the [[Lao people]] and [[Buddhism]]. The melody was retained.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uBquBoKAytYC&q=laos+national+anthem&pg=PA1780|title=Revolution, Reform and Regionalism in Southeast Asia: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam|publisher=Routledge|date=11 January 2013|last=St. John|first=Ronald Bruce|isbn=9781134003464|access-date=9 May 2013}}</ref>
==Lyrics== ===Current official=== ====Lao original==== {|class="wikitable" ![[Lao script]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=ປະຕູເອເລັກໂຕນິກ ລັດຖະບານລາວ|url=http://www.laogov.gov.la/Pages/National.aspx?ItemID=14&CateID=1|access-date=2022-01-31|website=Government of Lao People's Democratic Republic|archive-date=2022-01-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131215819/http://www.laogov.gov.la/Pages/National.aspx?ItemID=14&CateID=1|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Laotian National Anthem (Pheng Xat Lao)|url=http://asean.dla.go.th/public/article.do;jsessionid=72B4743C32D42CDD2A33D9C0901BBE83?menu2Id=99&id=247&lang=en&cmd=goView&searchCondition.position=0|access-date=2022-01-31|website=ASEAN Learning Center, Department of Local Administration}}</ref> ![[Romanization of Lao|Latin script]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Lao Romanization Table, 2012 version |work=The Library of Congress |url=https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/romanization/lao.pdf}}</ref> ![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] [[Phonetic transcription|transcription]]{{efn|name=IPA|See [[Help:IPA/Lao]] and [[Lao phonology]].}} |- style="vertical-align:top; white-space:nowrap;" |<poem>{{lang|lo|ຊາດລາວຕັ້ງແຕ່ໃດມາ ລາວທຸກທົ່ວໜ້າເຊີດຊູສຸດໃຈ
ຮ່ວມແຮງຮ່ວມຈິດຮ່ວມໃຈ ສາມັກຄີກັນເປັນກຳລັງດຽວ
ເດັດດ່ຽວພ້ອມກັນກ້າວໜ້າ ບູຊາຊູກຽດຂອງລາວ
ສົ່ງເສີມໃຊ້ສິດເປັນເຈົ້າ ລາວທຸກຊົນເຜົ່າສະເໝີພາບກັນ
ບໍ່ໃຫ້ພວກຈັກກະພັດ ແລະພວກຂາຍຊາດເຂົ້າມາລົບກວນ
ລາວທັງມວນຊູເອກະລາດ ອິດສະຫຼະພາບຂອງຊາດລາວໄວ້
ຕັດສິນໃຈສູ້ຊີງເອົາໄຊ ພາຊາດກ້າວ{{efn|name=lao|Some versions use {{lang|lo|ລາວ}} (''lāo'') instead of {{lang|lo|ກ້າວ}} (''kā̂o'').}}}}ໄປສູ່ຄວາມວັດທະນາ</poem> |<poem>{{lang|lo-latn|Sā̂t Lāo tângtę̄̀ dàimā Lāo thúk thûa nā̂ sơ̄t sū́ sútcai.
Hùam hę̄ng, hùam cít, hùam cai, sāmákkhī kan pén kamlang diao.
Dét dìao phǭ̂mkan kā̂onā̂, būsā sū́ kiat khǭ̀ng Lāo.
Sòngsơ̄m sái sít pén câo Lāo thúk son phào sǎmơ̄; phāp kan.
Bǭ̀ hâi phúak cákkàphát lę́ phúak khāi sā̂t khâo mā lópkhuan.
Lāo thang muan sū́ ḗkàlā́t, ítsàlàphāp khǭ̀ng sā̂t Lāo wái
Tátsíncai sū̀ sīng ao sái phā sā̂t kā̂o{{efn|name=lao}} pái sū̀ khuam wátthànā.|italic=no}}</poem> |<poem>{{IPA|wrap=none|[sâːt̚ lāːw tâŋ.tɛ̀ː dàj.māː] [lāːw tʰúk̚ tʰûːə nâː sɤ̄ːt̚ súː sút̚.tɕāj {{!}}]
[hùːəm hɛ̄ːŋ hùːəm tɕít̚ hùːəm tɕāj] [sāː.mák̚.kʰīː kān pén kām.lāŋ dīːəw ‖]
[dét̚ dìːəw pʰɔ̂ːm.kān kâːw.nâː {{!}}] [būː.sāː súː kīːət̚ kʰɔ̀ːŋ lāːw {{!}}]
[sòŋ.sɤ̄ːm sáj sít̚ pén tɕâw] [lāːw tʰúk̚ sōn pʰàw sǎ.mɤ̄ː pʰāːp̚ kān ‖]
[bɔ̀ː hâj pʰúːək̚ tɕák̚.kà.pʰát̚] [lɛ́ʔ pʰúːək̚ kʰāːj sâːt̚ kʰâw māː lóp̚.kʰūːən {{!}}]
[lāːw tʰāŋ mūːən súː ʔéːk̚.kà(ʔ̚).láːt̚] [ʔít̚.sà.là.pʰāːp̚ kʰɔ̀ːŋ sâːt̚ lāːw wáj {{!}}]
[tát̚.sín.tɕāj sùː sīːŋ ʔāw sáj] [pʰāː sâːt̚ kâːw páj sùː kʰūːəm wát̚.tʰà.nāː ‖]}}</poem> |}
====English translation==== :For all time, the Lao folk :have glorified their motherland.
:United in heart – :spirit and vigour as one.
:Determined to move forward, :upholding the Laotians' grace.
:Proclaiming their right to sovereignty, :equal are Laotians of every race.
:No more shall imperialists :and traitors trample them.
:Every Lao shall defend :the independence of Laos.
:They'll battle for victory, :and lead the nation to prosperity.
===Original lyrics (1947–1975)=== ====Lao original==== {| class="wikitable" ![[Lao script]] ![[Romanization of Lao|Latin script]] !![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] [[Phonetic transcription|transcription]]{{efn|name=IPA}} |- style="vertical-align:top; white-space:nowrap;" |<poem>{{lang|lo|ຊາຕລາວຕັ້ງແຕ່ເດີມມາ ຂຶ້ນຊື່ລືຊາຢູ່ໃນອາຊີ
ຊາວລາວຜູກພັນໄມຕຣີ ຮ່ວມສາມັຄຄີຮັກຫໍ່ໂຮມກັນ
ຮັກຊາຕຮັກປະເທສເຮົາ ຮັກເຈົ້າປົກເກສເກສາ
ໂຮມຮັກຮ່ວມສາສນາ ແຕ່ບູຮານມາຮັກສາດິນແດນ
ບໍ່ໃຫ້ຊາຕໃດມາລວນ ຮາວີຮົບກວນຍາດແຍ່ງຊີງເອົາ
ໃຜຂືນເຂົ້າມາລູ່ວຸ່ນວາຍ ສູ້ຈົນຕົວຕາຍຕ້ານທານສັຕຣູ
ຊ່ວຍເຊີດຊູເລືອດເນື້ອເຊື້ອເຜົ່າ ຟື້ນຟູກູ້ເອົາບັຣເທົາທຸກຂ໌ກັນ}}</poem> |<poem>{{lang|lo-Latn|Sā̂t Lāo tângtę̄̀ dơ̄mmā Khư̂n sư̄̂ lư̄ sā yū̂nai āsī̂.
Sāo Lāo phū́kphan máitrī Hùam sāmákkhī hák hǭ̀ ōmkan.
Háksā̂t hák pàthḗt hao Hák câo pák kēt kēsā.
Hōm hák hùam sāsànā Tę̄̀ būhān mā hák sā tindę̄n.
Bǭ̀ hâi sā̂t dai mā luān Hā wī háp kuān nyā́t nyę̄̂ng sīng ao
Phai khưn khâo mā lū̂ wùnwāi Sū̂ can tao tāi tā̂n sān sáttrū.
Sûai sơ̄t sū́ lứat nứa sứa phào Phư̄̂n phū kū̂ ao bánthao thúk kan.|italic=no}}</poem> |<poem>{{IPA|wrap=none|[sâːt̚ lāːw tâŋ.tɛ̀ː dɤ̄ːm.māː] [kʰɯ̂n sɯ̂ː lɯ̄ː sāː jûː.nāj ʔāː.sîː {{!}}]
[sāːw lāːw pʰúːk̚.pʰān máj.tɾīː] [hùːəm sāː.mák̚.kʰīː hák̚ hɔ̀ː hōːm kān ‖]
[hák̚.sâː̚t̚ hák̚ pà(ʔ̚).tʰéːt̚ hāw] [hák̚ tɕâw pák̚ kēːt̚ kēː.sāː {{!}}]
[hōːm hák̚ hùːəm sāː.sà.nāː] [tɛ̀ː būː.hāːn māː hák̚ sāː tīn.dɛ̄ːn ‖]
[bɔ̀ː hâj sâːt̚ dāj māː luāːn] [hāː wīː háp̚ kuāːn ɲáːt̚ ɲɛ̂ːŋ sīːŋ ʔāw {{!}}]
[pʰāj kʰɯ̄n kʰâw māː lûː wùn.wāːj] [sûː tɕān tāw tāːj tâːn tʰāːn sát̚.tɾūː {{!}}]
[sûːəj sɤ̄ːt̚ súː lɯ́ːət̚ nɯ̂ːə sɯ̂ːə pʰàw] [pʰɯ̂ːn pʰūː kûː ʔāw bán.tʰāw tʰúk̚ kān ‖]}}</poem> |}
====English translation==== :Once our Laotian race :in Asia highly honoured stood.
:And at that time the folk :of Laos were united in love.
:Today they love their race :and rally 'round their chiefs.
:They guard the land and :the religion of their ancestors.
:They will resist each foe :that may oppress them or invade.
:And such invaders will :be met with battle unto death.
:They'll restore the fame of Laos :and through ills united stand.
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== * {{YouTube|ubj0r1HNEEg|A video of "Pheng Xat Lao", broadcast on Lao National Television (LNTV)}} * {{YouTube|MFahizhumsY|A recording of "Pheng Xat Lao"'s pre-communist version, c. 1950s}} * [https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00005JT2H/ Michael Sauser and Gilbert Greeve] - Sauser and Greeve sing the anthem on their CD "Hymnen der Welt: Asien" * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120509185852/http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pimage.html?i=129895004&en=129895 "Pheng Xat Lao" at empas.com] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090815102856/http://www.dookolaswiata.pl/kraje/azja/laos/laos-ang.htm Dookola Swiata] - This travel website has an instrumental version of the Anthem, as an .asx file.
{{Nationalanthemsofasia}} {{Authority control}} {{Laos topics}}
[[Category:Asian anthems]] [[Category:Communist songs]] [[Category:Compositions in F major]] [[Category:Music of Laos|National Anthem]] [[Category:National anthems]] [[Category:National symbols of Laos|Anthem]] [[Category:1941 songs]]